Returning 10 months after his injury would put Noel on the court in December. That's highly unlikely, considering his practice time consists mostly of exercises and shooting drills.

Twelve months takes him to February. Who knows how bad things will be for the Sixers by then? One of the only benefits of playing Noel would be a few more ticket sales for a team that could eclipse the NBA futility record of 9-73 it set in the 1972-73 season.